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2012 Season - Davis' effort earns a spilt at Wheaton

Freshman left-hander Seth Davis allowed just one run in 7 1/3 innings Saturday to lead Augustana to a 3-1 win in game two of a doubleheader against Wheaton.

CAROL STREAM, Ill.-Augustana freshman southpaw Seth Davis (JK Mullen, Aurora, Colo.) gave the Vikings just what they needed in Saturday's doubleheader nightcap against Wheaton, throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball to earn his team a split with the Thunder. Augustana dropped Saturday's opener 8-0, but took two of three games in the weekend series. The Vikings are 21-11 on the year and 8-7 in the CCIW and stay one game ahead of 18-14 and 7-8 Wheaton.

GAME ONE: WHEATON 8, AUGUSTANA 0

After winning behind a shutout pitching performance on Friday, Augustana found itself on the other end of things in Saturday's opener. Wheaton's Drew Golz went the distance, scattering seven Viking hits en route to an 8-0 Thunder win.

Golz got all the offense he would need when his teammates touched Augustana starter Jared McIntosh (Assumption HS, Davenport, Iowa) for a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Leadoff hitter Ryan Miller got an infield hit, stole second, moved to third on a wild pitch and scored on a one-out double to center by Justin Zeller. Zeller later scored on an Austin Driggers groundout.

Golz helped himself in the third, getting a one-out single to center, stealing second and scoring on another Zeller double. The Thunder added a run in the fifth on Alex MaLossi's RBI single and took advantage of three walks, a wild pitch and an error in the sixth to put the game away with four more runs. Driggers delivered a two-run single and MaLossi singled in a run in the inning as well.

The Vikings got the leadoff man on base in the third, fourth and seventh innings and left two runners stranded in both the sixth and seventh, but Golz pitched out of each of those situations to get the shutout and move to 7-1 this year.

McIntosh, who gave up four runs in five innings of work, fell to 2-4 with the loss. Grant Stewart (Sterling HS, Sterling, Ill.) had the only multi-hit game for the Vikings with a pair of singles. Mike Barker (Centennial, Colo. Grandview HS, Marina del Rey, Cal.) and Jim Sandberg (JK Mullen HS, Littleton, Colo.) each had a double.

GAME TWO: AUGUSTANA 3, WHEATON 1

Davis and senior reliever Josiah Martin (Canton HS, Canton, Ill.) combined to handcuff the Thunder in game two. The freshman gave up five hits and five walks in 7 1/3 innings, fanned nine and helped himself by picking off two Thunder baserunners. He allowed just a second-inning run and picked up his second win in three decisions.

With one out in the bottom of the eighth and the Vikings leading 3-1, Golz drew a walk from Davis and Zeller followed with a single. That prompted Augustana coach Greg Wallace to call on Martin, who induced a pair of ground balls to end the inning. Martin then set Wheaton down in the ninth, fanning two, to pick up his fourth save of the year.

Jacob VanDuyne (Wilmington HS, Wilmington, Ill.) and Jeremy Juhl (Glenbard East, Lombard, Ill.) started the contest with back-to-back singles off Wheaton's Jimmy McDonald. After a failed sacrifice, Stewart singled to load the bases and Kurt Schmidt came through with a sacrifice fly to left, scoring Juhl with the first run of the game.

The Vikings manufactured another run in the second. Freshman Kyle Lenihan (Romeoville HS, Romeoville, Ill.) drew a leadoff walk and stole second. He moved to third on a sacrifice by Sandberg and scored on a passed ball. Kevin Serna (Rolling Meadows HS, Arlington Heights, Ill.) had a bunt single and VanDuyne followed with a single to right to knock McDonald out of the game, but reliever Miles Veth retired the last two batters of the frame and Augustana left two runners stranded for the second straight inning.

The Thunder got their only run in the bottom of the second, but Davis stranded a pair of runners to escape further damage.

In the sixth, Serna singled with two outs and stole second. VanDuyne singled him to third and stole second as well. Juhl plated Serna with a single of his own to make it 3-1.